2004 Middle School Champions Cup won by "Oklahoma Team"

On Saturday, September 18th over 200 scholastic players competed on Main Street in Lindsborg, Kansas in 5 rounds of quick chess. At the end, seven-time World Champion Anatoly Karpov and four-time women's World Champion Susan Polgar presented the Middle School Champions Cup to Rachel, Michelle and Ryan Farell and teammate Devin Hughes. Having competed against each other so often, the close friends appreciated being able to compete as a team representing Oklahoma and would like to thank Dr. Mikhail Korenman, director of the Karpov International School of Chess, for the opportunity.

After a weekend in Lindsborg it was obvious why the USCF named the town "Chess City of the Year". The "Parade of Champions" included the scholastic teams and was watched by more than just parents. The players were able to watch the Karpov - Polgar match, billed as the "Clash of the Titans", and on Sunday Grandmasters Yury Shulman, Irina Krush (current US women's Champion) and Anna Zatonskih gave a free class for the players. It was a great weekend for chess.

By Brett Hughes